mills



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. B. MILLS.

GATE.

No. 343,249. Patented'JuneB, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2,

M. B. MILLS.

GATE.

N0.s43,249. l PatentedJune8,1886.

.-35 li.' l' l N. PETERS, rma-Lummpnar. washing, n. c.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTIMER B. MILLS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO yTHE SAFETY GATE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,249,`dated June 8, 1886l Application filed August 6, 1885. Serial No. 173,692. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

u Be it known that I, MORTIMERB. MILLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and Improved Gate; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates,particularly, to safetyro gates for railway-crossings, commonly used to afford in the road barriers to the passage of vehicles on the approachto the crossing of a locomotive or train.

It is my object to provide agate for the foregolng purpose whichv shall comprise a construction of very great simplicity and cheapness, and which shall at the same time be effective under all circumstances, 'owing to a lack of liability to become inoperative.

With my present invention it is desired to avoid the employment of pneumatic or other automatically-operating force to actuate the gate, thereby rendering it unnecessary to place any portion of the mechanism under ground, which, under the most favorable conditions,

presents the objection that the parts are at least inconvenient of access for purposes of repair, and that in the winters of severe climates the necessity for such repair is liable to 3o occur with annoying frequency.

My invention consists in the general construction of my improved gate, and in certain details of the constructions and combinations of the parts forming the same, all as hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of my invention, showing a pair of gates of my improved construction on each side of a space corresponding with a railway-crossing, representing one gate as lowered and the other as raised, the operation of raising and lowering being performed from a watch-house properly located; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view of a gate, showing details of its construction, and indicating by dotted lines the manner 'of its operation; and Fig. 3, a detail view showing windlasses for winding and unwinding the actuating ropes or cables of the gates, provided with suitable dog mechan- 5o ism.

A and A are gate-p osts, sunk into the ground a sufficient distance to afford to them desired stability in their respective positions. To a distance preferably of about three feet above the ground the posts are solid, but hollow, as shown, throughout the remainder of their height, which may be about twenty feet.

B B are bars, or, as I prefer to term them, levers/7 owing to the function which they perform, as hereinafterdescribed. The levers B comprise each a solid forward portion, r, having a bifurcated rear portion, r', preferably of the form shown, to embrace opposite sides of the solid portion of a post, to which it is pivotally secured at a point preferably about three feet above the surface of the ground, and at about the same distance from its own rear extremity.

C is a cable, having a weight, q, secured to each extremity, one weight being located within the hollow part of each post A and A. The cable C is supported toward its opposite ends upon pulleys 17 on bearings within the posts, and extends through an opening in the forward extremity of the part o' of each lever B, between friction-pulleys n, journaled therein.

C is another cable, secured at one end to the forward part, r. of a lever, B, behind the cable C, and extending under a pulley, u', on the post A, toward the center of its inner side, and over a pulley, o, on the upper extremity of the post A, and secured to the cable C2, which passes under the pulley o, and extends thence across tovthe top of the post A, passing around pulleys n2 and n, supported in 85 suitable bearings upon the post and secured to the part r of the adjacent lever B,as shown. From the point of junction of the cables C and Cl they lead to a windlass, I), in a watchhouse, E, suitably located, and the windlass is provided with a ratchet, m, and dog Z, of common construction and for the usual pun.

pose.

Vhen circumstances require the posts A and A to be a great distance apart,which will necessitate the use of a cable, C2, of correspondingly great length, the latter may re. quire supporting between the posts. A suitable ineans for this purpose is shown in the drawings to comprise a cable, F, secured at roo its opposite ends to vertical extensions G upon the upper ends of the posts and carrying rings z', through which the cable C2 passes.

The operation of the gate is as follows: The cable C mainly affords the barrier portion. By turning the windlass D in one direction the cables G'and C2 operate to raise the levers B to vertical positions against the inner sides of the posts A and A', the form of the levers and manner ot' their adjustment permitting them to lie, when thus raised, with their upper or rear sides in contact with their respective posts. VVith'the raising of the levers the cable C is also raised, the weights q, at its opposite extremities, descending to take up whatever slack may be occasioned by thediierence in the lengths of the hypotenuses when the levers are down, and the opposite sides when the levers are up, of the triangles described by the resultant positions of the cable C. The levers B are not balanced; but the forward portion, r, of each is somewhat heavier than the combined weight of its rear portion, 9", and the adjacent weight q, whereby it will fall when released to afford the barrier at the crossing by its own gravity, the fall of course being properly controlled by the operator at the windlass. The length ot' the levers B, upon which depends the height to which the cable C may be raised, is usually about fifteen feet, though this is necessarily regulated according to municipal requirements in such matters.

A lantern casting a light of a desiredvcolor may be hung centrally upon the cable C to indicate at night from a distance by its position the raised or lowered condition ot' the gate.

As the two gates shown in Fig. l are operatedindependently,theiroperating-windlasses D and D being placed in such close proximity as to permit one operator simultaneously to control both, further description is not necessary, since the foregoing applies to either or both.

I am aware that the construction of a gate having posts carrying arms pivotally secured upon them, and a cable connecting the arms, to form with the latter when lowered a barrier, is not broadly new, inasmuch asapatent has already been issued for a gate consisting of bars on posts and provided with weights,A and combined with a rope attached to the top of one bar, passing over apulley on the other bar, and connected to a drum, whereby the bars are pulled down together, and the rope forms a part of the gate when the bars are down.

What I claim as new, Letters Patent, is-

1. A gate comprising, in combination,posts carrying arms or levers pivotally secured thereon to be raised or lowered, a cable weighted at its opposite extremities connecting together the arms or levers and supported toward its opposite extremities, and means, substantiall y as described, for actuating the arms and desire to secure by or levers to raise and lower them, together with the cable, as set forth.

2. A gate comprising, in combination, hollow posts carrying arms or levers pivotally secured thereon to be raised or lowered, a cable connecting together the arms or levers, and supported toward its opposite extremities on pulleys within the posts,and having secured to each :extremity a weight movable within the posts, and means, substantially as described, for actuating the arms or levers to raise and lower them,together with the cable, as set forth.

3. A gate comprising, in combination,posts A and A', hollow throughout a part of their extent, bifurcated arms or levers B, pivotally secured upon the posts, a weight, q, within each post having a gravity, which, combined with that of the portion of an arm or lever, B, behind the pivotal point thereof, is less than that of the portion of the arm or lever forward of its pivotal point, a cable, C, having secured to each extremity a weight, q, and extending over pulleys p in the posts through openings formed in the arms or levers B toward their forward extremities, and provided with friction-pulleys fn, and means, substantially as described, .for actuating the said arms or leveis to raise and lower them, together with the said cable, as set forth.

4. A gate comprising, in combination, posts A and A', hollow throughout a `part of their extent, bifurcated arms or levers B, pivotally secured upon the posts, a weight, q, within each post having a gravity, which, combined with that of the portion of an arm or lever, B, behind the pivotal point thereof, is less thanthat of the portion of the said arm orlever forward of its pivotal point, a cable, C, `having secured to each extremity a weight, q, and extending over pulleys p in the posts through openings formed in the arms or levers B toward their forward extremities, and provided with friction-pulleys n, cables C' and C, secured each at one extremity to an arm or lever, B, and extending around pulley mechanism provided for them upon each post to a common` point, and means, substantially as described, forwinding or unwinding both cables C and C2 simultaneously, whereby the barrier formed by the arms or levers B and cable C is raised or lowered, as set forth.

5. A gate comprising, in combination, posts A and A', hollow throughout a part of their extent, bifurcated arms or levers B, pivotally secured upon the posts, a weight, q, within each post having a gravity, which, combined with that of the portion of an arm or lever, B, behind the pivotal point thereof, is less than that of the portion of the said arm orleverforward of its pivotal point, a cable, C, having secured to each extremity a weight, q, and extending from the posts over pulleys p therein through openings formed in the arms or levers B toward their forward extremities, and providedl with friction-pulleys n, a cable, C', secured at one end to one arm or lever B, and

IOO

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passing thence around pulleys upon the post cablesCPand C2 simultaneously, whereby the A, a cable, C2, secured at 011e end to the other barrier formed by the arms or levers B and IoY arm or lever B, and passing thence around cable C is raised or lowered, as set forth. pulleys upon the post A to the cable C', with 5 which it is connected, means, substantially as MORTIMER B MILLS described, for supporting the cable C2 be` In presence of tween the posts, and means, substantially 'as MAsoN BRoss, described, for Winding and unwinding both ROOKWELL SAYER. 

